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BREAKING NEWS for BACKFIREMOTO! And it is GOOD News! We have found a better location for Backfiremoto !WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE FOUND A GREAT NEW LOCATION AND FORGED A RELATIONSHIP WITH MATT BELL AT "THE SHOP " IN THE INDUSTRIAL ZONE IN SODO. This new location ensures that The Backfiremoto that you are familiar with, will remain the same but with some surprising new additions that we think that you will like. ★ Backfiremoto will have acres of CAR FREE - free - PARKING all around and ON the premises.★ Backfiremoto is moving to an even more INDUSTRIAL AREA where it belongs.★ Backfiremoto will have INDOOR areas to hang out amongst bikes and other attendees.★ Backfiremoto will be centrally located in our city. ★ Backfiremoto will have a great selection of food and beverages from Food Trucks and Derby Restaurant.★ Backfiremoto will be enabled to go year-round by our lighted indoor areas.★ Backfiremoto will have access to tire inflation, battery chargers, some tools in case you need it for the ride home.★ Backfiremoto will have covered outdoor areas to park and hang out under.★ Backfiremoto will have covered beer gardens where we can see the bikes as they roll in and park. ★ Backfiremoto will have and more space for us to expand and curate moto related culture and ART. ★ Backfiremoto will still be FREE as it always was. ★ LAST BUT NOT LEAST - THE FIRE PITS WILL BE BACK !!!!!! ( just like the early days of Backfiremoto)Why move from Ballard? Well, if you didn't notice that the amount of available parking in Ballard for attendees was dwindling each year for the past few years, many of us did. Motorcycle parking is a fundamental necessity for our event. Like most of Seattle, Ballard is changing very quickly. Loss of parking spaces and the enstating of paid metered spaces is the reason for less parking at Backfiremoto. Unfortunately, this new parking situation has progressively made it harder for our attendees to show up and park for the event. After the metered parking occurred on Ballard Ave. a few years ago, our street parking began to disappear. Sadly, Ballard Avenue and Leary Way employees and residents have nowhere to park except in the streets on this side of Leary. Some of the parking opened up after about 6-7 pm but that is too late. On top of that, the new "Burke-Gillman missing link " project will remove hundreds of MORE parking spaces from Shilshole adjacent to Backfire causing even more employees and residents to park in the "Backfire Zone ". It is our belief that they will add paid parking meters in the area soon as well. On top of all of that, apparently, there will be a high probability of a large-scale development of a large property between 49th and 50th street in the next year or so. This would disrupt or completely end the parking on 49th and 50th street for a few years. Fortunately, we have secured a relationship to sustain Backfiremoto for years to come! The Shop is focused on enabling individuals to do their own work on their vehicles and D.I.Y. moto- culture is what Backfire has always been about as well. It's a great match.We would like to thank SHELTER LOUNGE and NW Peaks Brewery, Stone's German Garage , Lux , Filson and all their friendly staffs for their support over the years. We will always remember their warm hospitality to our moto-community!As usual, there will be people who will not welcome this change. We are sorry, but this change is beyond our control and the new location is going to be awesome. If you are skeptical, please give us and the new location a chance to prove itself. We are confident that you will like it! As we all know, Seattle is changing very quickly. We are lucky to have a great option to move to a space that will accommodate us and actually improve the experience of Backfiremoto. ★THE SPRING OPENER is Wednesday, March 21st 2018 4PM 2233 6th Ave. South (THE SHOP - in the SODO industrial district)★Sincerely , Todd , Sean and Sean at www.Backfiremoto.comps: Please SHARE this to help spread the word. Thanks!

Too bad. Backfire was great while it lasted. I understand the pressures put on it by a changing Ballard, but this move seems like it goes in the wrong direction. Now it will be just another generic 'cars and coffee' cliche. A stamped out, overly polished and bland meetup.

"THE COUNTRY CLUB FOR GEARHEADS" - sure they promote DIY culture - if you can afford it. That doesn't resonate with me as the culture of Backfire.

I'm sure it will be successful in the new place, and I wish you all the best. It's just hard to stomach and disappointing to see changes like this.

RIP Backfire - you will be missed.

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Todd Werny

2/26/2018 10:34:46 am

Please give it a chance brother! It's all about the people and the bikes ....not the parking lot we meet at. This area is way more industrial and tougher than Ballard if that is what you like .... give it a try ... after ten years of us donating our blood sweat and tears to make a great community event , we would appreciate your trust . ... Seattle is changing very quickly and we all need to deal with it even if we wish it was a different story .... I believe that we all have to be flexible and move forward ..... or be left in the dust and rubble of " the new Seattle" .

Sweetness, Ballard was cool before it got too crazy and too hard to get to.
I really look forward to the new space!
Fire pits, indoors, and more space for bikers to be bikers.

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Basher

3/20/2018 03:55:33 pm

Looking forward to the move! I left my 14yr home in Ballard a few years ago and moved south, for a lot of the same reasons Backfire is moving. Since then I have only made it to a few Backfires, so the new location is more convenient for me. Matt Bell is a great host and an interesting guy; had the chance to chat with him for a while when The Shop first opened their doors. Definitely excited about this new spot!

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Steve Bockelie

3/20/2018 07:15:31 pm

It's really too bad backfire was forced out of Ballard. It appears the gentrification of Ballard is now complete. Unfortunately I probably won't attend anymore as I live in Edmonds and the 20 mile ride to SoDo at that time of day would take me about an hour. Good luck, I hope it works out for you.